RPGNow

Saturday, November 5, 2016

We've been getting some great feedback as well as identifying typos that need fixing (and some things that could use a slightly more detailed explanation)

I've been asked about a Swords & Wizardry Light Compatibility License. At the moment, there is none, but considering that the printed version of SWL does triple work (folder, GM Screen and rules) one-sheets are the ideal format. Just print out, drop inside the rules and you are ready to go.

Remember, magic items are not detailed in the SWL rules, so if your adventure includes magic items you'll need to include the relevant details.

The OGL must be included with any one-sheet releases, but that can always be on the third page. It would just take up needless space in the folder anyway ;)

+James Spahn , +Zach Glazar and myself have plans for Swords & Wizardry Light. It is very much a living system. In the next week or so there should be a "lighter" PDF version as well as a Word Doc file. We will be publishing one-sheets and a bimonthly zine.

As for why the Swords & Wizardry Light forum makes The Tavern's homepage scroll right to it? No idea. But in a day or two it will move to the second page and take care of itself :)

Adventurers! Revised Print Edition -"What is Adventurers? It is a traditional, old school RPG,with strong roots in Fighting Fantasy, Dungeons & Dragons, Savage Worlds and a bit of FATE." I like the Adventurers! system A LOT. Easy to pick up and easy to run, which at my age (knocking on 50 soon) ease of use is key to my gaming. Light enough to run comfortably in a convention setting yet deep enough to use with campaign play. I have a copy of the KS revised Print rules for review purposes, and although I haven't yet read through it all, I can say it is extremely well done. The revised print edition is kinda like GURPS without the complexity but with all of the world and setting options. It really is a system that covers it all. You can download a PDF of the core Revised Adventurers! rules for free here. The KS includes five settings. $34 is probably the best buy in level for the amount of material you get.

Dungeon Degenerates - Hand of Doom Fantasy Board Game - "Dark Fantasy Board Game with a classic RPG feel. Wandering outcasts look for trouble in the grim, monster-infested Würstreich! Blending a Dark & Dirty Old School role playing game aesthetic with an easy to learn, fast-moving & engaging board game system, Dungeon Degenerates delivers the dark fantasy adventure you want, when you want it." I'm so in at $55.

Swords & Wizardry Complete 3rd Printing - Dude! It's fucking Swords & Wizardry! Anyhow, either go small or go big, there really is no middle ground. Go in for a buck and get the new printing plus an adventure or two in PDF. Really, how can you go wrong? OR drop $225 for the Complete Gamers level (should be Complete Adventurer if you ask me) and get more Swords & Wizardry than you can shake a stick at. Seriously, the value is easily over $400 and growing. I have much of it and yet I think I'm going to up my pledge to $225. The Horror! heh

Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea 2E - "The heroes of an AS&SH game delve dungeons filled with horrifying monsters, lethal traps, and bewildering puzzles; they explore savage wilderness frontiers and hostile borderlands; they probe ancient ruins and investigate cursed tombs; they match steel against sorcery and sorcery against steel; and they plunder for gold, gems, and magical treasure." I have the 1st edition, and it is GOOD. 2nd edition looks simply amazing. So yes, I'm in. BTW, grab some adventures while you are at it. Also damn good.

Operation Unfathomable - "A party of experienced adventurers led by the stalwart Prince Eyraen have stolen an artifact from Syantides, Sorcerer-King of Mur, and entered the Underworld on a mission of vengeance. That brave band is lost and presumed dead. Perhaps a smaller, stealthier party can succeed where mighty heroes failed? You’d better hope so... From the author of The Dungeon Dozen! A weird underworld adventure and campaign setting for Swords & Wizardry and other old school rpgs" $40 is the sweet spot if you want it in print.

Friday, November 4, 2016

Swords & Wizardry Light made its debut at GameHole earlier today and there was much rejoicing.

I've been informed by the powers that be that the Swords & Wizardry Light PDF is ready for download for those that have requested it. Be warned, this is a hefty PDF for a mere 2 pages, as this is the same file that was used by the printers.

Next week, we should have a smaller PDF as well as a Word file for download. All hail +Zach Glazar !

Deep Carbon Observatory - from somebody I don't dislike that was involved with the Blie MedusaThe Pod Caverns of the Sinister Shroom - +Matt Finch and some of his earliest workCastle Gargantua - simply good stuff by +Kabuki KaiserMad Monks of Kwantoom - dittoOne-Page Dungeon Compendia 2013-2015 - more gaming goodness than you can shake a stick at - and a perfect size for use with Swords & Wizardry Light2014 Dodecahedron Cartographic Review - +Dyson Logos - need I say more?

$19.00 (at the moment) - all of the above PLUS

Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls - I'm a huge T&T fan. This might be the ultimateDwimmermount - sure, it has some awkward "historty" but the final result was not bad at allYoon-suin - a sweet sandboxMisty Isles of the Eld - +Chris Kutalik 's mini sandbox on an acid tripChthonic Codex - new one for me, looks interesting

Shit, I have most of this but I'm in for $8.95 - I have everything added at the $18.94 level in print except for Chthonic Codex...

I expect some copies of Swords & Wizardry Light will be "sneaking out" the day before GameHole officially kicks off (er, that means there could be copies in the wild today). As the support page(s) are still a work in progress (thank you allergies from hell) and due to the fact that a community thrives on communication, I've opened a Swords & Wizardry Light forum.

I expect questions / rules clarifications / houserules and alike will be addressed in the forum first before being submitted to the support page for ease of reference.

Links to the Swords & Wizardry Light PDF will be added to the forum when those links got live ;)

You can access the forum from the above link, as well as the Tab Bar under the header art of this page, but for convenience I've also added it to this very page.

I've been trying to steer clear boardgames on Kickstarter. Not because they aren't good, they generally are. It's simply space. The Conan board game arrived in two huge boxes. It's killing me.

Dungeon Degenerates - Hand of Doom simply looks awesome. I love the art. Hell, i could mount the above game board on a wall in my mancave (such as it is). I will find room for this, damn it!

$55 for the basic buy in for a sandbox board game? Characters can gain abilities and carry over between sessions?

Count me in :)

Here's a list of features (with some highlights by me)

-1-4 players co-op
-Players can form parties or split up throughout the game at will - no forced obligation to compete or stick together-1-3 hours gameplay based on mission-Epic RPG campaign feel in an open world sandbox board game-Play until you die - bring your experience & items from previous missions
-Open exploration - no forced path-Multiple missions & objectives of varying difficulty for high replayability
-Multiple ways to approach each mission
-Set in a cohesive & fixed world with multiple distinct regions
-Regions feature unique encounters & thematic monsters
-Encounters allow multiple interaction choices - you do not have to fight everyone you see-Open experience system allowing for character customization with new skills
-You are always in danger - the town is not an artificial safe zone - combat is dangerous
-Various modes of travel - players cooperate to choose their route & pace, or split up & fend for themselves
-Customize difficulty & theme with expanded monster & encounter decks
-Streamlined combat with tactical depth, each player rolls dice only once on their turn
-Uses standard 6-sided dice only
-Over 100 monsters with unique abilities & artwork

So, I received my four, early release copies of Swords & Wizardry Light in the mail today. These are the same pieces that will be given out, first come, first served by Frog God Games at GameHole Con this weekend. If you are going, make sure to snag your copy early, because supplies are limited.

Holding these copies brought a certain sense of joy I hadn't experienced prior. Sure, I've written for Knockspell, had some minor 3rd party S&W releases a few years ago and I wrote an adventure for Saga of the Splintered Realm, but Swords & Wizardry Light is different. It was a joy to bring it to this point.

The GameHole Con copies are an early release of sorts, as the main shipment is coming from China.

To the best of my knowledge, Swords & Wizardry Light is the only official flavor of Swords & Wizardry not copyright by +Matt Finch . It is an honor I had not expected and I will do my best to ensure that SWL has a long and vibrant life. S&W Light is a community ruleset first and foremost, and I am happy you will all soon be sharing in it with me.

The release of the Swords & Wizardry Light PDF is imminent. As in SOON. Be warned though, the initial PDF release is pretty much the same file that was sent to the printer, so its pretty on your computer screen but might not be as printer friendly as you will want. Printer friendly and MS Word versions will follow shortly thereafter.

Quick reminder. Tavern Chat is tonight but I wont be hosting. Your bartender feels like shit. I might pop in for a few minutes but that is all.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

I was right. I did get two shipments of the same Mythoard. Ah well, my loss is your gain.

So, what do we have this time (should be the last giveaway before OSR Christmas)?Rappan Athuk Cyclopean Deeps - Part 1 - Down to Ques Querax for Swords & Wizardry.Sabres & Witchery, a Swords & Wizardry hack from the Age of Enlightenment to the Industrial Revolution and I great source for supernatural horror in your OSR gaming.The Dungeoneer Issue 14 - the RuneQuest issue.

Comment between now and 1030 PM Thursday, November 3rd. I'm only shipping to the states, so if you are outside the states and get picked, I'll send you a $10 RPGNow Gift Certificate in its stead.

All of these giveaways should be mailed out by early next week,

Rach will be so happy :)

PS - The Swords & Wizardry Complete KS is coming to a close in the next few days. You ARE backing for a least a buck for the free PDF loot, right?

There will be copies of Swords & Wizardry Light available for free at the Frog God Games table at Gamehole Con this weekend. Supplies are limited, so get there early.

I will be getting my advance copies on Wednesday, so long os the US Postal Service doesn't screw things up. Its only four copies and all are accounted for ( +James Spahn , +Tim Shorts and +Thom Wilson as well as myself) There will be more coming with the main shipment from China and I've asked for a number of copies to pass on to the community via The Tavern and otherwise.. That's a bit out there time wise, as they are shipping from China via ship.

Yes, that means my not quite 6 year old niece will have to wait for her copy. That's okay. She doesn't know when they are coming anyway ;)

Yesterday, I finally took an allergy med and that helped with the heavy eyes but not much more.

Today, after arriving home from the Poconos my stomach cramps kicked in along with the usual accompaniment. I had it. My doc has regular evening hours from 6-8 on weekdays and I took myself to the doc.

Diagnosis?

Severe allergies, resulting in both my post nasal drip and my stomach problems from said post nasal dip. Oh, also the beginnings of an ear infection, which could have added to my feeling of dopiness.

Antibiotics for the ear infection, meds for allergy and sinus congestion. Did I mention that the antibiotics may lead to more "stomach issues?"

Fun times.

In any case, if you wondered why the light posting over the weekend (and no posting until now for today) now you know.

There MIGHT just be one more giveaway, as it seems like I got a double shipment on one of the Mythoards this month...

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Real quick and short post, as I've hit the "foggy headed" stage of congestion. Time to mix alcohol and decongestants! (no, not really). Here are some scenarios for Operation White Box:

DESERT RAIDERS OF WWII is a collection of three (3) support missions designed for WWII: Operation WhiteBox™. Join the SAS and the LRDG and take part in historic raids against the Germans during the North Africa Campaign!

RAID ON LUFWAFFE-32: Sneak into a Luftwaffe airfield at night and blow up as many planes as you can!

PANZERS IN THE SAND: Locate the enemy tank column before it can reinforce the Germans attacking El Alamein!

AFRIKA KORPS IN KAOS: The German general wants to secretly meet and negotiate a surrender. Could this be the end of the fighting in North Africa or is it only a diabolical trap!

Desert Raiders of WWII is designed for 3-6 characters of 1st-3rd level.

$3.99 for 37 pages in PDF

Norway Ablazeis a mission pack for WWII: Operation WhiteBox. It contains three (3) short missions that loosely emulate the events of Operation Claymore---a series of British commando raids on the Lofoten Islands of Norway.

RELAY STATION RAID: Destroy the relay station so the Germans can't call in reinforcements or air support from the Luftwaffe!

FISH OIL FRACAS: Infiltrate a fish oil refinery and destroy its stores of fish oil to keep the Nazis from manufacturing high explosives!

BUNKER ASSAULT: Take out the German bunker whose guns are keeping the commandos from escaping the island!

Norway Ablaze is designed for 3-6 characters of 1st-3rd level.

$3.99 for 40 pages in PDF

Remember, all purchases using The Tavern's OBS affiliate links puts 5% of your purchase price into The Tavern's coffers. Don't leave that money on the table for the greedy corps! Tip your barman! ;)

I grabbed the above screenshot from Hall of Bones, one the adventures I brought with me on my weekend getaway.

+Bill Webb makes some very valid points. When I started playing AD&D back in the way back, silver and standard rations were always on hand to throw at monsters that might otherwise overpower the party. Iron spikes secured the door to the room the party was resting in. 10' poles were prodding for pit traps and mechanisms. Flaming oil was key (and non flaming for the slip and fall as the party fled) Caltrops - everyone had caltrops. Crowbars were standard issue.

The thing is, as Bill says above, when the players improvise the GM must too. Much of what good players will try is not covered in the rules, whether its 4 pages, 40 pages or 400 pages. Personally, I think the shorter the rule set, the more your players are forced to think "outside the book, not just the box." That type of thinking makes for a better game IMHO.

If your players aren't making you work as a GM, they aren't doing their jobs right...

Tenkar's Tavern is supported by various affiliate programs, including Amazon, RPGNow, and Humble Bundleas well asPatreon. Your patronage is appreciated and helps keep the lights on and the taps flowing - Your Humble Bartender, Tenkar

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Why "Swords & Wizardry?"

Believe me when I say I have them all in dead tree format. I have OSRIC in full size, trade paperback and the Player's Guide. I have LL and the AEC (and somewhere OEC, but I can't find it at the moment). Obviously I have Basic Fantasy RPG. Actually, I have the whole available line in print. Way too much Castles & Crusades. We all know my love for the DCC RPG. I even have Dark Dungeons in print, the Delving Deeper boxed set, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea (thank you Kickstarter) (edit) BOTH editions of LotFP's Weird Fantasy and will soon have some dead tree copies of the Greyhawk Grognards Adventures Dark & Deep shipping shortly in my grubby hands awaiting a review..

I am so deep in the OSR when I come up for breath it's for the OSR's cousin, Tunnels & Trolls (and still waiting on dT&T to ship).

So, out of all that, why Swords & Wizardry? Why, when I have been running a AD&D 1e / OSRIC campaign in Rappan Athuk am I using Swords & Wizardry and it's variant, Crypts & Things, for the second campaign? (Actually, now running a S&W Complete campaign, soon to be with multiple groups)

Because the shit works.

It's easy for lapsed gamers to pick up and feel like they haven't lost a step. I can house rule it and it doesn't break. It plays so close to the AD&D of my youth and college years (S&W Complete especially) that it continually surprises me. Just much less rules hopping than I remember. (my God but I can run it nearly without the book)

I grab and pick and steal from just about all OSR and Original resources. They seem to fit into S&W with little fuss. It may be the same with LL and the rest, but for me the ease of use fit's my expectations with S&W.

Even the single saving throw. That took me longer to adjust to, but even that seems like a natural to me now. Don't ask me why, it just does. Maybe it's the simplicity of it. At 45 48, simplicity and flexibility while remaining true to the feel of the original is an OSR hat trick for me ;)